


Boundaries of Language

by Bakageta



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Fluff, Given Names, Other, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-28 11:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19811776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bakageta/pseuds/Bakageta
Summary: “Is Venom, like, your name, or a translation, or just something that sounded cool?”





	Boundaries of Language

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Türkçe available: [Dil Sınırları](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19999822) by [robinsexual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinsexual/pseuds/robinsexual)



“Hey, Love?” Eddie’s making his dinner (pasta with meat sauce, heavy on the meat) when he finally gathers up the confidence to ask the question that he’s been nursing the past day and a half.

**_Yes?_ **

“Is Venom, like, your name, or a translation, or just something that sounded cool?” 

Because the thought that he might not actually know his other’s name had been bugging Eddie. He was a reporter and language was pretty crucial to the job, and it didn’t make any sort of sense that an alien race which communicated exclusively mentally would have names in any kind of spoken language.

A feeling of **_(hesitation)_ ** as Venom slows the loops they’d been making in his abdomen. **_The second and third reasons. Venom is the closest approximation we could find and it sounded threatening to us._ **

“Huh, makes sense. How does your real name go?”

This time Venom actually stops moving and condenses their self somewhere around Eddie’s liver.

**_(hesitation\self-consciousness)_ **

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

**_It is not a..._ ** They search for a word before settling on **_...nice name._ **

_(acceptance\patience\waiting\asking-from-a-place-of-love)_ Eddie makes the effort to respond to his other in their own language, because even after months together it’s not something that comes easily to him and this feels like something significant.

**_(Slips-Past-Defenses-Kills-Before-Being-Noticed)_ **

Eddie can feel how the designation resonates with the basic core of who Venom is, and they’re not ashamed of that, of who they are. They hesitated because they feel awkward in this soft human world where names are not tied anywhere near as deeply to their owners purpose.

“It’s a good name, though, good doesn’t always have to be nice.” Eddie reassures as he stirs the pasta.

**_Could give you another name, Eddie. (hesitation\desire-for-acceptance)_ ** Venom’s sending thoughts like they did when they first woke back up. There won’t be any misunderstandings but Eddie can feel how exposed this is making his other feel. Personal names, it seems, are very important to a species whose identity is tied so closely to their host.

“Better than Edward Charles Allan Brock?”

**_No!_ ** The correction comes almost before he finishes his sentence. **_Not better, just different, would never change you like that._ **

Because, Eddie parses from Venom’s quiet horror, for them changing one’s name changes that core bit of selfhood. It is something that one does for themselves, anything else is taboo. What Venom is offering is more of an indirect translation than anything else.

“Didn’t mean it like that.” He reassured and then, after a moment to gather his thoughts, sent _(sorry\unintended-distress\guilt-at-causing-distress)_ as best he could. 

“What name would you give me?” Because somehow Eddie knows that being _given_ a name is different than _changing_ a name.

**_(Beloved-Home-Guards-Against-The-World)_ **

“Oh.” There aren’t words to explain how right that name feels. How deeply it resonates.

Venom must be able to tell though, because they encircle Eddie’s heart and radiate **_(trust\love\contentment)_ **.

**Author's Note:**

> Another cut scene that stands on its own and that I like enough to post! 
> 
> One day I'll actually finish a thing, but between good but stressful life things and cycling through working on 4 different fics who knows when that will happen.
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated, I'm on [tumblr](https://bakageta.tumblr.com/) if you wanna say hey.


End file.
